Tour Itineraries
Day 1: (Cairo – arrival)
A tour operator  representative will welcome you and assist you at Cairo International airport and help you out with all your procedures through passport control, luggage area and customs formalities. Following that you will be driven to your hotel by a private air-conditioned vehicle.
Overnight at your hotel in Cairo

Day 2: (Cairo)
Having taken breakfast, head to Kattameya heights Golf Club Adventure to take pleasure in a game at this course (18 holes, 6780 yards, par 72). Afterwards tour the well-known Egyptian Museum, lunch during tour.
Overnight at your hotel in Cairo

Day 3: (Cairo)
Take off the morning sightseeing at the enormous Pyramids, Sphinx and the Valley Temple, lunch during tour. Afterwards, head to Hilton Pyramids Golf Resort to take part in playing at this fabulous course (18 holes, 5250 yards, par 68) in the shadow of the pyramids.
Overnight at your hotel in Cairo

Day 4: (Cairo – Luxor)
Drive to Cairo Airport for a domestic flight to Luxor. register at your hotel then continue to the Royal Valley Golf Club for a game on this course (18 holes, 6735 yards, par 72) with magnificent views of Luxor West bank. Go back to your hotel and after tour the Karnak and Luxor temples.
Overnight at your hotel in Luxor

Day 5: (Luxor)
Following breakfast get pleasure from the wonderful sightseeing of the West Bank including the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon, enjoy your lunch during your Pharaohs golf tour. After move to the Royal Valley Golf Course to take pleasure in an additional game on this course.
Overnight at your hotel in Luxor

Day 6: (Luxor – Cairo)
In the early morning head to Luxor airport for a domestic flight returning to Cairo. Free time and overnight at your hotel in Cairo

Day 7: (Cairo – Final Departure)
Having taken breakfast, head to Cairo International Airport for last departure.

Fayoum Oasis

Major Cities and Towns

Medinet El Fayoum

See also:

* Egyptian Geological Museum – Cairo
* Fossils: The Other Ancient Egypt
* The Walter Granger 1907 Fayoum Expedition Dairy

About the Area

A spring in the FayoumThe Fayoum is a wonderful area of Egypt with a rich and interesting history. It is an area where Egyptians often vacation and which is constantly growing more popular among Europeans. This 692 sq. mile depression was a lush paradise during prehistoric times. It’s water level was eighty-five meters higher than today (currently 45 meters below sea level) and the Nile regularly flooded through the low mountains separating it from the Fayoum. At 215 square km,  the current lake Qaroun remains Egypt’s largest salt water lake. The prehistoric people who lived here were, at first, nomadic hunters and gatherers, but later began harvesting plants near the lake. This developed into what is said to be the earliest agricultural area in the world, where fences were erected and guarded warehouses built. It has remained an agriculture center, well known for it’s fruits, vegetables and chickens.

A mummy portrait of the FayoumWorkers in the FayoumBut agriculture is not the Fayoums only claim for being first.  The Greek mummy portraits found in the Fayoum are said to be the worlds first true life portraits, and examples can be found in area museums.  In addition, a paved road, which has been noted as a landmark of engineering by engineering societies along side the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty, is said to be possibly the first paved road in the world and dates to over 4,500 years.  And finally, the worlds first dam was probably built here in order to control the Nile floods into the area.

The peacefulness of the area is a relief from the hustle and bustle of Cairo, from which it is a brief trip. Bird life still abounds around Lake Qaroun, bordered by semi-nomadic Bedouin settlements and fishing villages. Here, on the edge of the desert, you can sail, windsurf, swim and fish. Other places of outstanding natural beauty near Fayoum are the hot springs at Ain al-Siliyin, where you can bath and the waterfalls at Wadi al-Rayan, 40km towards Bahariyya, also suitable for swimming and picnics.

Sunset on lake QarounFayoum is not a true oasis since it depends on Nile water instead of underground springs or wells. The ancient Bahr Yussef canal runs through the center of the city and irrigates the land. Only two hours from Cairo by road, Fayoum is renouned for its year-round warm climate, numerous water wheels (introduced by the Ptolemies in the 3rd century) and lush agricultural land. Cotton, clover, tomatoes, medicinal plants and fruit are all grown here. The local Souk (market) in Fayoum City sells copperware, spices and gold jewelry and there is a special pottery market once a week.

Other small villages in the area too small to document independently include Qasr Qarun at the western end of Birket Qarun and Shakshuk also by the lake on a bay.

How to get to Fayoum

From outside Egypt

International flights direct to Cairo, then either an internal flight (see below) or overland by bus or by car.

From Cairo

Overland
You may like to book a tour through a travel agent or hire your own transport. Bear in mind that desert driving has special requirements and be sure to get a suitable vehicle and guidance on possible hazards. 0therwise you can travel to each location by bus or service taxi and arrange trips from there.

Fayoum:

Service taxis from Midan Giza (Giza Sq.) or buses from the Ahmed Helmi or Giza terminals. By train from Ramses or Giza station

One among the most ancient places in Egypt is the classical tour of Egypt (pharaonic) but often time it includes a few of the religions as well as Islam .The eminent pyramids of Egypt around Giza almost close to Cairo sightseeing.The famous classic tour is normally 10 to 14 days, and mostly includes Cairo, Luxor in addition to Aswan, even though not in that order. They are usually organized with, or without a Nile cruise.

Normally, such Egypt holidays will start in Cairo, due to the major Airport where several of the tourists get in Egypt. On the other hand, tours are usually split between the start as well as the end of the trip. For instance, a tour may possibly cover the Giza pyramids in addition to saqqarra (step pyramid) together with the Egyptian Antiquities museum on the day of arrival. Therefore, after moving to Luxor and Aswan as well as Cairo, tours will focus on visiting the citadel and khan el-khalili market in Islamic Cairo, the churches as well as Coptic museum in ancient Cairo. Actually, the tours may not be in this particular order.

After taking a day or two in Cairo, these tours often travel to either Luxor or Aswan, regurally by air although a train can also do. Nevertheless, other types of travel are usually arganised, including bus travel. In fact, the bus may possibly stop at antiquity sites along the way, and the antiquity near the fayoum.The next session of the tour regularly starts in either Luxor or Aswan.
Egyptian holiday packages

Take note that Luxor is usually organized within one or two day tour. At dawn, or one day of a two-day stay, the tour most likely visits the west Bank where several monuments as well as tombs are found, including some of the greatest in Egypt. This often takes place in the morning so as to avoid the heat of the afternoon. Thus one afternoon or one day will probably be kept for the East Bank, where the Luxor as well as Karnak temples are easily located, in addition to the great Luxor museum. There are many activities and among these include visiting the local bazaar.

For Aswan nearby south of Egypt, a day tour is normally enough for many people, furthermore these may include visits to Elephantine island, st.simon’s monastery, the unfinished obelisk, the Nubian museum, the high Dam as well as philae island, even though the given time may not allow most standard tours to check all these sites.But, regural addition to the standard classical tour is the temples at Abu simbel.This in most times adds a day to the Aswan tour. Various tours fly to Abu Simbel and still get back in one day, allowing much time to accumulate on the visits to Aswan sites. The unknown tours may end up in Abu Simbel, probably with a stay in a local hotel there in.

Luxor Temple in Luxor, Egypt, once the Captial known as Thebes in past times
Whenever, after cairo, atour usually ends up in luxor,the following destination taking place at Aswan,or if probably Aswan is the first stop,the nearby destination will normally be luxor.The usually used type of transport between these two destinations are tour bus or Nile cruise boat.As one may perhaps take a train or fly between the two destinations,this is not done because of the antiquity sites which may include the temples of kom ombo and Edfu, which are positioned between the two cities

Egypt Hotels

Cairo hotels
If you are looking for a luxury and most exotic hotel in Egypt, Cairo Egypt Hotels is one among the best hotels in the world that you must not miss when you get a chance to go to Egypt. For those who don’t have any information about Egypt, Cairo is the capital city of Egypt and the most visited in the whole world due to the great pyramids of Giza that are most loved by tourists.

Luxor Egypt hotels

The scenery of luxor Egypt hotels with the river Nile that accesses the felucca ride has drawn so many people to the Hotel ,furthermore the unique white sail in sunny with the drifting on Egypt’s lifeblood. Only these eminent Hotels can make you trace the ancient civilization with the flourishing banks of the river

Aswan Egypt hotels

The Aswan hotels have a view that enables tourists watch the flows of the River Nile; furthermore it has a serene symphony for visitors in search of sheer relaxation. Aswan is surrounded with peaceful mud brick villages with a verdant strip, and still relaxation goes along with the Nile’s blue waters that calmly flow to the rest of the world.

Mediterranean Coast (North Coats)

Alexandria Egypt hotels

In case you want to achieve a great experience for the rest of your life, take time and visit the Alexandria hotels  or Egypt Accommodation with a luxury environment.The hotel have a provision of giving mint tea in an outdoor coffee shop. In addition to that, overlooking the spectacular sun as it goes in the serene waters of the Mediterranean and further described as the pearl of the Mediterranean.
I
Western Desert Cities

Bahariya Oasis Hotels

Due to the few Hotels in Bahariya oasis, camps may be an alternative. New Hotels are being built because of the increasing number of visitors. These hotels have nice rooms with private bathrooms that make the guests comfortable

Farafra Oasis Hotels
A number of visitors who visit farafra oasis usually love camping, this forces them to set up their own tents rather than staying in hotels. As a matter of fact, farafra oasis has 2 main hotels and so reservation ought to be done in time

Dakhla Oasis Hotels

Egypt has focused on Dakhla oasis due to its fertile soils that produce orchards. The history of oasis has been of ancient time from prehistory to the pharaonic are, Dakhla is the largest oasis to Cairo and its one of Egypt’s most attractive oasis. It has modern hotels that attract a number of people along with the tourist attractions

Kharga Oasis Hotels

Egypt has five western oases and among these includes the kharga oasis which is known as the green island in the middle of a yellow ocean of sand. Furthermore it’s situated in the Libyan Desert approximately 200 km to the west of the Nile and just about 150 km long. The two main routes connect oasis to the Nile valley that has ancient tourist sites, the most visited being the temple of hebes located just about 3km north of the oasis. The Temple is for fellowships and worship by the Triad of Thebes, Amon, mut and khonso.more still, kharga has fortresses that Romans built to protect the long caravan route running through middle Egypt and Sudan. Due to the location of Kharga,it has very limited hotels although with modern and local amenities.
Siwa Oasis Hotels
Among the Egypt’s locations,Siwa oasis is one of the isolated settlements with a distance of just about 560km from Cairo and the occupants totaling to up 23,000 people, mostly the ethnic Berbers who speak a distinct language known as siwi and taking Agriculture as the main activity. among the items that supplemented  the basketry included the dates as well as olives,Siwa has many historical sites and these; the ancient fortress, the remains of the oracle temple, the Gebel al mawta of the Roman-era along with the Cleopatra’s Bath a natural sulfur spring. It has a blend of basic hotels in shared rooms that are most wanted by tourists.

Red Sea Coast

Hurghada Hotels
For such a long time, Hurghada has been the Red sea’s tourist destination due to the plains and the various mountains surrounding Hurghada.The city was called Ghardaga by the locals because of its fishing activities, but later on developed into a tourist town with a lot of diversity to keep tourists still visiting the place. Hotels have enough accommodations with entertainment inclusive.

El Gouna Hotels

El Gouna lies closely to the Egypt’s Eastern Desert Mountains with approximately 10 kms of beachfront. Over 20 hotels are built on the islands surrounded by lagoons with a proximity of 2 million square meters, Among those, 14 hotels are in operation with 3-6 star resorts under plan. More to that,El Gouna has a distinctive Red Sea Resort with the largest range of recreational facilities in the entire Red sea area.

Safaga Hotels
Safaga was initially an old fishing port although with time, it become a commercial port due to its location on the Red Sea, south of Hurghada city. The city attracts many guests because it’s well known for its scuba diving as well as water sports. furthermore with excellent Hotels, tourists villages, fish restaurants, immaculate beaches, mountain ranges with the spectacular sunset that is enjoyed by most people.safaga still was the only convenient venue for the 1993 world windsurfing championships. Trips to Tobia Island and mons caludianus in the Red sea mountains are among the places that attract tourists
to Egypt.

Marsa Alam Hotels
Before the construction of the marsa Alam international Airport, Marsa was initially known as the small fishing village situated between the Red sea Coast road and the road from Luxor and Edfu.The Airport transformed the city into an exotic holiday resort characterized with fishing activities such as sharks, lobsters, turtles among the catches. Its only the Divers along with snorkellers that enjoy the impressive spectrum of invertebrates, soft corals, sponges in addition to different fish species.Marsa has a coastline that is made up of one huge reef on which exclusive hotels are built having all the facilities and great services.

Sinai

Sharm El Sheikh Hotels
For those looking for a more advanced place in Egypt, sharm el-sheikh is one that you ought not to miss. It is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, with a strategic view of a promontory that enables one watch the straits of Tiran at the mouth of Agaba Gulf. The most exciting features about  sharm el-sheikh is the sun and the sea, surrounded by a Bedouin life as well as tents .Along the deluxe hotels of international chains, there are small modern design hotels besides. Furthermore with diverse amenities, casinos, Health facilities, night clubs as well as golf courses that is most wanted by tourists in Egypt.

Dahab Hotels
Several people may wonder what Dahab means, in Arabic its is known as gold and in Sinai it means golden sands as well as golden sea. In the ancient times, Ahab was well known as a Bedouin fishing village. Unlike today where its the world most prominent windsurfing, scuba diving as well as snorkeling opportunities,futhermore the reef adjacent to the waterfront hotels in addition to the nearby Blue Hole. Due to all these features, Ahab has turned out to be a focus on tourism development.Thisinvolves the swaying palms, fine sand along with wonderful water sports activities; the hotels have excellent accommodations with affordable prices. More still, housing in the village or camping is also accessible depending on what will make you comfortable.

Nuweiba Hotels

Nuweiba lies north of Dahab and takes a distance of just 87 km; the scenery of Nuweiba has turned the city into the pearl of the Agaba Gulf. The city is surrounded by the deeply silent desert, rugged mountains, beaches, crystalline water of the Red sea along with several of hues of blue in addition to the immaculate marine life. The city has a favourable atmosphere and among the activities done in Nuweiba include underwater with the shallow reefs that creates interesting locations for snorkeling as well as diving sites.Nuweiba Hotels have a wider selection of bars,restaurants,bazaar along with enough accommodation for all guests.

St. Katherine Hotels

St Katherine is a UNESCO world Heritage Area located in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt at an elevation of approximately1600meters from sea level. The overview of mountain Sinai gives tourists an opportunity to see st katherine’s monastery, this monastery happened to have been built on the site where Prophet Moses received the Ten commandments in form of a burning Bush. Egypt has over 200 religious places and among these includes the ruins of Byzantine Monastic settlements as well as the highest mountains with a spectacular view.

Sinai Hotels

Sinai is one of the places in Egypt that is remembered for its historical events. In the ancient times of about 8000 years, take for instance the fossilized reef animals in the mines of El maghara together with the copper that fueled the bonze age. A number of people recall the place to be a wilderness where the Israelites stayed for forty years. Of late, people look at Sinai as a magical place that has attracted so many tourists to Egypt. Sinai has several features and these include coastline boats, splendid beaches, mountains, beautiful offshore as well as extraordinary marine life that has made Egypt become a leisure and diving worldwide destination. This has attracted tourists due to its tropical fish, rare birds, starry nights, spectacular sunsets, more still with enough accommodation that suits every guest’s tastes and whims.

Nabq Hotels

Nabq is a city located in south Sinai; approximately the largest on the Gulf of Aqaba.It covers an area of just about 600 square kilometers and still has almost 134 plants. The scenery of the area has a very distinctive blend of landscapes, mountains and the surrounding valleys that make the place appear good. Furthermore the coastline of Nabq is surrounded by just about 4.8km of mangrove forest which is located in the north and the largest in the Red sea.Nabq has a protected area situated 35km north of sharm el-sheikh and further has a natural area containing varied ecosystem as well as habitat types.Nabq has many hotels that has plenty of facilities along with amenities.

Golf on the Red Sea

Most people in the world wonder about the scenic views bordering the golf course. Get time and walk into the actual golf enthusiasts home or office, amazingly, one is able to see the beautiful landscapes in Scotland or England, or US. Though there is no place in  the whole world  were one may possibly play golf in the shadows of the eminent pyramids, or play 18 holes in the morning at the some time visit the mountain where Moses is believed to have passed the Ten Commandments in the afternoon.

Surprisingly, there are limited rain checks in Egypt golf tours, the weather is so good that it suits one’s desire to play golf on the red sea ( and may be),sight viewing, shopping as well as other activities which may include scuba diving in a few of the greatest spots in the world.

Egypt is blessed to have beautiful courses such as the Gary player course at some Bay on the Red sea. Many of these courses either join, or are absolutely part of the eminent hotels, for example one at the mena House in Cairo

* Alexandria Sporting Club in Alexandria, Egypt
* The Cascades, Soma Bay on the Red Sea
* Dreamland Golf & Tennis Resort, Cairo, Egypt
* The Gezira Club, Cairo, Egypt
* Jolie Ville, Sharm el Sheikh in Sinai
* Katameya Heights, Cairo, Egypt
* Mena House Oberoi, Cairo, Egypt
* Mirage City, Cairo, Egypt
* Pyramids Golf Course and Country Club, Cairo, Egypt
* Royal Valley Golf Club, Luxor, Egypt
* The Golf Club at El Gouna, Egypt

The Red Sea Area

Coral and Fish in the Red Sea of Egypt Mysterious Fish in the Red Sea of Egypt

Major Cities and Towns

Ain Sukhna
Berenice
Bir Shalatein
El Gouna
Hurghada
Mersa Alam
Al-Quseir
Safaga
Suez
Zafarana

About the Area

Egypt’s Red sea coast extends from the Gulf of Suez to the sudanese border.morestill, its mineral-rich red moutain ranges inspired the mariners of antiquity to cite the sea mare Rostrum, Egypt red sea riviera or the red sea.

Hermits longing for seclusion also discovered early christian monasteries here,furthermore sharing the wilderness with camel-trading Bedouin tribes.Of late, the crags as well as limestone wadis of the Eastern Desert still remain moderately unexplored, home to ibex in addition to gazelle.Although the Red sea itself,fringed by ancient ports, teeming with underwater life, as well dotted with coral reefs,happens to have a rich maritime history which extends back to pharaonic times.

On the other hand, the thermal winds that at one time sped to the East still bring thousands of migrating birds to the shores of the Red sea, creating it to be a paradise for bird-watchers.Recentely, the past ports are well known as a few of the best diving in addition to fishing resorts in the world.Here,you may discover over 800 fish species, including the deadly stone-fish,the hazardous butterfly-fish, along with surgeon fish, jellyfish  which includes the cassiopei, crabs that at times overrun the shore in the evening as well as some species of shark.sunbathers take anap on white sand beaches or get shade in the mangrove lagoons that accord the coast, as snorkellers explore the reefs.furthermore the underwater wonder of the Red sea remains a living tapestry of vibrant corals in addition to the exotic fish, anticipating to discover its secrets

Location:
The Red sea borders the East coast of mainland Egypt

How to get there:

From outside Egypt
Some international flights of late go to Hurghada,thus fly direct to Cairo and possibly  take an internal flight or advance overland by bus or by car.  morestill get detailed information from your travel agent.

From Cairo

Overland
You may perhaps book a tour directly through a travel agent or hire your own transport. Remember that desert driving has particular requirements and be certain to get a  good  vehicle as well as  guidance on possible dangers. However you may travel to every location by bus or service taxi and still organise trips from there

Suez:
East Delta Bus Company buses as well as service taxis from the Koulali terminal, close to Ramses Station. By train from Ramses station

Ain Sukhna:
Buses in addition to service taxis from Suez or by private transport from Cairo

Hurghada:
Service taxis along with buses (including Superjets) from Ahmed Helmi terminal, just about Ramses Station or from abdel Mounim Riyad  terminal, close to the Ramses Hilton
Hotel.

Safaga, al-Quseir, Mersa Alam, Berenice:
Buses, service taxis and also tours from Hurghada. You could need a special permit to visit Berenice, check out at the Frontiers Aministration office in cairo.

St. Anthony’s and St. Paul’s monasteries:
distictive pilgrim tours are organised from Cairo by the YMCA along with the Coptic Patriachate. Tours could be organised through misr Travel as well as other tour operators. The Hurghada bus may possibly drop you at the foot of the mountain, approximately 13 km.Almost away from the monasteries,therfore private transportation is the excellent way to get there.

Shopping in Egypt – carry home some souvenirs from Egypt.
When you go shopping in Egypt you will have to think of haggling.
Haggling is relevant if you don’t want to overpay for the merchandise you are buying.
Basing on the merchandise you are getting you can get the price down to as much as 50-60 % of the original price.
Haggling can take a lot of time and experience to master, so try to just search around the first couple of days and haggling for prices. Following the testing you will probably find out how much you probably can get the price down with shopping in Egypt.
The store owners in most stores in Egypt will provide you Tea. This is every time not a sales pinch but just something that Egyptian people do.
In case you don’t want the tea, try to be courteous when you decline their offer. The same applies to buying their products.

What to shop in Egypt
What Egypt is most famed for merchandise wise that is.
Silver is something that is popular, Egypt is known for its fine handmade silver ornaments.
The prices for silver ornaments is fair compared to other places in Europe.

Glas souvenirs is also something that Egypt is recognized for.
Perfumes. Just attempt to smell some of their perfumes and compare the prices for the perfumes that you buy at home. You will get to know why it’s so popular to buy perfumes from Egypt. One thought prior to buying perfumes, is that perfume doesn’t last that long when you store it in glas containers.
Water pipesis also an admired souvenir from Egypt.
When you buy a water pipe and want to take it through customs, make ensure that you have detached the metal parts in the water pipe.
Otherwise the water pipe won’t go through the metal detector if you have it as a carry on luggage.
Finally.
Papyrus is also a souvenir that almost ALL tourists buy. Papyrus can be bought in multiple forms in addition to different patterns.

To see the panoramic view of golden sand desert and dunes camel safari  Egypt is the greatest mode of transportation. Be it Sahara Desert or Thar Desert, there is no option of camel safaris if travellers need to get pleasure from the colorful and undisturbed villages, with rich historic background and colorful culture. Camel safaris Egypt are stimulating and adventurous, but it can be serious if one is not well organized. Temperature is the largest hurdle in the desert areas; it can range from 0 degree to 30 degree centigrade, that is, biting chilliness at night and searing heat in the daytime.

So, earlier than taking a camel safaris Egypt ride it is sensible to do some precautionary preparations. One must use a large rimmed sun hats, umbrellas, scarves or cotton caps. Also, keep enough amounts of woolen and cotton clothes. The handbag should include lip balm, moisturizers and sunscreen creams. Finally, don’t forget to take mineral water, knife, and torch in addition to first aid kit. An additional wise decision could be to employ a well experienced guide who is well versed with the desert very well.

The desert which is renowned all around the world for its camel safaris is the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. It brings out variegated culture, courtyard mansions, palaces and intricately carved temples. Wonderful camel safaris are offered in nearly all over Rajasthan, but popular spots are Jodhpur , Jaisalmer and Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Let us have small descriptions concerning these locations.
Jodhpur : True spirit and vibrant culture of Thar Desert is reflected by this city. The venues to be seen on the camel safaris are Umaid Bhawan Palace, Meherangarh Fort, Moti Mahal (Pearl Palace), Girdikot, Sadar market, Mandore Gardens and Jaswant Thada. In the time of the camel ride one will also tour striking palaces, quaint lakes, Bishnoi villages and the wildlife sanctuaries.

Jaisalmer: This is also referred to as ‘city of kings’. Places worth touring are the antique monuments Manak Chowk, Badabagh and the Jain Temples situated on the fringes of Jaisalmer, Ramkundra and Baisakhi. Camel ride can be the greatest mode of transportation to adventure these places. About 42 km away from the Jaisalmer city lies the Sam Sand Dunes, this is a very passionate and pleasing destination which can be relished through a camel safari. Sunset at the dunes is exhilarating and gives a feeling of paradise on earth. In the way to the Sam Sand Dunes one can get pleasure from the gorgeous sights of the Beri of Kanoi and Damodara.

Bikaner : In the northern part of Rajasthan is Bikaner district. It is a sparkling and vibrant city full of astonishing tastes and sounds. The imperative venues worth exploring are Lalgarh Palace, Junagarh Fort, Deshnoke Temple, Fort Museum and Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary. One can take pleasure and be grateful for the peasant city with the strange camel rides.

The Great Indian Desert provides a multiplicity of camel safaris. Basing on one’s availability of time one can decide on for short trip around the cities or a longer journey around the Thar Desert . In daytime one can take pleasure in well-off cultural heritage and at nighttime get spellbound by folklores and traditional music.

Siwa
Major Cities and Towns

Siwa

See Also:

*

An Overview of the Siwa Oasis: Part I: Geology and Geography

Desicription

With a population of about 23,000, Siwa Egypt, the most inaccessible of all Egypt’s oasis until very recently, is also one of the most fascinating, lying some 60 feed below sea level.. On the edge of the Great Sand Sea, its rich history includes a visit from Alexander the Great to consult the Oracle of Amun in 331 BC. Archaeologists, such as Liana Souvaltsis and implied that the great military leader was burried here, but no real evidence has come from this.  The King of Persia lead a 50,000 man army to the area to distroy the oracle, but the entire army was lost in the desert.

The area has a nice climate, chilly in winter, hot in the summer and moderate in the spring and autumn. Lake Siwa to the west of the town of is a large, saltwater lake.

The area is famous for its dates and olives, and is one of the most beautiful landscapes in Egypt. Olives oil is still made in the area by crushing the olives from the 70,000 olive trees in the area with stones. The dates are gathered by zaggala (stick bearers), who must remain celibate until the age of forty, and the area boasts some 300,000 date trees.  It is located on the old date caravan route, yet until recently, it received few other visitors and retained much of its heritage.  In fact, until the battles which took place around the  Siwa Oasis Egypt in World War II, it was hardly governed by Egypt, and remained mostly a Berber (Zenatiya) community for the prior thirteen centuries. Siwans continue to have their own culture and customs and they speak a Berber language, called Siwi, rather than Arabic. Interestingly, each October there is a three-day festival during which Siwans must settle all of their past year’s disputes.

The area is also famous for its springs, of which there are approximately 1,000.  The water is sweet, and is said to have medical properties.

Though relaxing and certainly now a part of the tourist community in Egypt, it is very traditional, and visitors should keep this in mind when traveling to the area. Girls of the area are often married by the age of 14, and afterward where completely covering clothing, and allowed little communications with the world outside their immediate family. Many women still wear traditional costumes and silver jewelry like those displayed in The Traditional Siwan House museum in the town center. In fact, the area is also well known for its crafts, particularly woven cloth, which is unique in Egypt.

How to get to the Siwa Oasis

From outside Egypt

International flights direct to Cairo, then either an internal flight (see below) or overland by bus or by car.

From Cairo
Overland

You may like to book a tour through a travel agent or hire your own transport. Bear in mind that desert driving has special requirements and be sure to get a suitable vehicle and guidance on possible hazards. 0therwise you can travel to each location by bus or service taxi and arrange trips from there.

Siwa:

Train, flight or bus to Alexandria then a bus direct from Alexandria or via Mersa Matrouh.

St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt’s Sinai

One might say that there are four different types of Religious Tours in Egypt. The first type being Islamic tours, but this is outside the scope of most westernized tours. While westerners frequently visit a few ancient mosques, they usually do not plan an entire tour around Islamic monuments. The other three types of Religious tours Egypt include the Holy Family Route, the Exodus Route and unstructured religious tours. Unstructured religious tours simply have no grand plan, such as following the Holy Family or Exodus Route. On the other hand, they may present a more balanced survey of all religious sites in Egypt, including those of both the Holy Family and Exodus Routes. Simply put, the Holy Family and Exodus tours attempt to follow the routes of these holy journeys, while unstructured religious tours may cover a spectrum of religious sites including those on both the Holy Family Route and Exodus Route. In any event, many such religious tours can and often do include visits to the most important pharaonic sites such as the Pyramids and the Egyptian Antiquity museum. Furthermore, unstructured religious tours and the Exodus tours will often include the Sinai, so even a short beach stay might be included.